Islam upholds democracy as the only rightful form of State and government. It is shown by (i) Islamic history of the days of the Holy Prophet and of the four Pious Caliphs (Khulfa-e-Rashideen), (ii) by the teachings of Islam, (iii) by the theory of Khalifa and (iv) by the theory of Sharia.
The Islamic State, built by the Holy Prophet at Medina and preserved by the four Pious Caliphs (Khulfa-e-Rashideen) was a democratic State, in which all decisions, outside the Quranic revelations, were made after consultation among the Companions^ (Sahaba) of the Holy Prophet. The Medina Republic was a political community of the two Muslim groups, the Muhajireen and Ansar, who were bound together in Islamic brotherhood, and their loyalty and obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet^. They had discarded all differences and distinctions of tribe, clan and race and had formed as a community of believers, called ‘ Ummah who are united by their belief in Tauhid Allah.
Islam is a democratic religion.
The Holy Quran repeatedly enjoins on the Muslims to settle all of their matters by mutual consultation among them. It says, “And those who respond to their Lord and are constant at prayer and whose affairs are by consultation among themselves and who give out of what we have given them.” (Surah 42: verse 38) The Quran also proclaims that all Muslims are brothers and equal. Indeed, brotherhood and equality are the essential basis of its social and political democracy.
Political democracy in Islam is further substantiated by its theory of Khalifa or caliphate. As we have said in a previous chapter, caliphate is a democratic State, based upon the equality of all Muslims in the election of the Caliph or Head of State. Moreover, the Caliph will not decide anything without consulting the citizens, excepting those about which there exists a clear Islamic injunction in the Quran and Sunnah. The institution of shura or consultative council is a democratic institution. Islam abhors despotism, tyranny and oppression. It was only when reaction against Islamic teachings began under the Umayyad Caliphate that absolute monarchy got developed among the Muslims.
Lastly, the theory of Shariah is also steeped in the ideology of democracy. As we have said in a previous chapter, all the sources of Shariah, such as ijma, ijtihaad, istihsan and istislah, are all highly democratic in nature. For instance, ijma requires that a new law in the Islamic State will be based on the consensus of the whole Muslim community (Ummah). The principle of ijtihaadi legislation, as expounded by Allama Iqbal, can be applied as a democratic institution of the Islamic State. In other words, the Shariah has developed democratic political and social institutions in Islamic societies. We may conclude that the spirit of Islam is democratic in all its meanings, social, economic, political.